It was another stifling summer day with heavy, humid air that even the cool breeze rolling in off the sea did little to dissipate. Renly was sitting precariously on a large rock at the edge of the water, with his breeches rolled up and his legs dangling in the unusually calm sea.
"I still don't see why you won't just come in the water." Loras said from a few feet in front of him, bobbing up and down in the soft waves like a fish. Renly smiled as he remembered the first time he had seen Loras swim, and how he had worried that the boy would drown. He shouldn't have been surprised that Loras turned out to be such a graceful swimmer; everything Loras attempted was accomplished with that special Highgarden elegance and finesse. It was clearly one of the few things Lady Olenna had been successful at teaching him before his departure.
"I told you. Some of my guests are arriving tonight. Can you imagine their reaction if their Lord was to stroll in with his clothes fully soaked?"
Loras had all but dragged Renly outside the castle after leaving the training yard, insisting that it was a crime akin to high treason to stay inside on one of the few days of sunshine to grace Storm's End. Renly had laughed before dutifully following his squire, wondering not for the first time exactly how this role reversal had happened.
"You know I actually had affairs to attend to today Loras!" He had said even as he followed him down to the rocky shore at the back of the castle. And it was true, for once; tomorrow was his name day, and many of his bannermen were set to arrive to attend the feast and ball that were to be held in his honor.
Loras had only scoffed, not even bothering to reply. Clearly planning name day celebrations were of less importance to Loras than enjoying nice weather. Renly couldn't blame him, though; Loras had lived surrounded by golden sunshine and endless fruit orchards before coming to the Stormlands, so it was useless to try and keep him cooped up inside on a day like this.
"So take them off!" Loras replied, dipping under the water only to resurface a short distance away, grinning wickedly. Renly rolled his eyes at him, even as he looked longingly at the cool water.
Indeed as they reached the shore Loras had wasted no time in taking off his own clothes, stripping down to his small clothes and slipping into the water. As much as Renly had wanted to follow him in, he was a little too painfully aware of exactly how many guards were standing watch over this part of the castle at this very moment. He could only imagine their laughter as they witnessed their Lord stripping to his small clothes to swim alongside his squire.
"Come on!" Loras taunted, rolling onto his back and splashing water at him with his feet. "You're always so proper. It's so boring."
"I am not!" Renly laughed, kicking water back towards his squire and missing him by several feet. "I'd come in if there weren't so many guards watching."
It was Loras' turn to roll his eyes as he swam back towards the shore, climbing up onto the rock to stretch out on his back beside Renly.
"How come you're such a good swimmer, anyway?" Renly asked partly to change the subject and partly because he was actually curious. "Last time I checked Highgarden wasn't near the sea."
"No, but we do have lots of ponds." Loras replied, his eyes closed against the sun and his arms stretched out above his head. He had always been a pretty child and indeed he made quite the picture, with his damp curls tumbling around his head like a golden halo. "They're practically the same thing."
Renly scoffed. He was quite sure that the calm ponds of Highgarden and the waters of Shipbreaker's Bay were most definitely not the same thing, but refrained from saying so, knowing how affronted Loras would be at any insult to his beloved home.
Renly lay back on the rock beside Loras, bracing his head on his arms and looking up at the clouds moving idly about the deep blue sky. It was really quite peaceful, with the waves sending sprays of cool water on his bare feet and the breeze cooling his heated skin. He would have been quite content to simply lay there forever and forget all about his Lordship duties. Someone else could attend to those petty matters while he and Loras basked in the sunshine and picked out shapes in the clouds.
"That one looks like a cat." He said, pointing to a fluffy cloud with distinctly pointy ears and whiskers.
"You think everything looks like a cat." Loras said beside him, his eyes still closed.
Renly chuckled. "I think you look like a cat." He said in amusement. He knew that it annoyed Loras to no end when he mentioned it, but there was something decidedly catlike about the way Loras would perch in windowsills and slink soundlessly through corridors. His mood swings were quite feral, as well; he could be perfectly docile one minute and quivering with rage the next. Renly turned his head to look fondly at his squire; reaching out to tug at one of his corkscrew curls and watching it spring back into shape.
"You're very annoying sometimes, you know." Loras mumbled, leaning his head away from Renly's fingers. Renly did know; in fact, annoying Loras was a particularly favorite pastime of his.
"Then why haven't you gone home yet?" He jested, nudging Loras in the ribs with his elbow.
"Because I want to be a knight." Loras replied simply, opening his eyes and looking up at the sky with a slight smirk on his face. No doubt he was thinking about exactly how marvelous a knight he would make, breaking many a man's bones and even more maidens' hearts.
After a few minutes it was Loras' turn to point up to the sky. "That one looks like a cock." He said merrily.
Renly burst out in laughter before following Loras' finger to the aforementioned cloud. He looked at it carefully, tilting his head this way and that to try and see what Loras saw.
"Looks more like a pigeon to me!" He said after a while.
It was Loras' turn to laugh. "Do you have something strange going on down there?" He jeered. "Is that why you're so uncomfortable every time I catch you in your small clothes?"
"Be serious." Renly replied, even as he flushed slightly in embarrassment.
"But it's true! And that time I walked in on you in the bath you turned almost as red as you are now!" Loras continued, clearly enjoying tormenting Renly.
"Maybe I just appreciate my privacy, all right? I am entitled to that." Renly mumbled, hoping Loras would leave it at that. Unfortunately, it seemed Loras had other ideas. He rolled onto his stomach, propping his head up on his hand and looking down at Renly.
"Are you that shy when you're with girls too?" He asked thoughtfully.
Renly felt his face grow hot. He had been dreading this conversation with Loras, and indeed had considered it a small miracle that they had gone this long without talking about it. They talked about that kind of thing, of course, but always hypothetically; Loras had never asked specifically about his experience, or lack thereof, with women.
"What do you mean?" Renly asked in what he hoped what a sincere voice.
Loras chuckled. "You know what I mean!"
Renly was quiet for a few moments before answering, somewhat reluctantly. "I haven't lain with a woman, if that's what you're asking."
As Renly had expected, Loras was quiet for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. His laughter was caught short, however, when Renly's expression didn't change.
"But you must have." Loras said incredulously. "You're ten and six. And…you're you! Women throw themselves at you."
"Yes, well. That doesn't mean I throw myself at them. And I'm still ten and five, until tomorrow." Renly replied defensively. The conversation was going just as he had thought it would and yet it was even more painfully awkward than he had imagined. "Besides," He continued, "you would know if I had women coming and going from my chambers. You burst in every morning and most evenings without knocking, remember?"
Loras pondered that for a minute, to Renly's amusement. Once Loras had made up his mind about something, little things like facts or evidence mattered little.
"Still, you must have kissed plenty?" Loras asked, his tone now laced with uncertainty.
"Sure, a few." Renly replied. In truth they had been nothing more than chaste kisses given to particularly forward girls, none of which had enticed him to go any further with them. A part of him still hoped that he had not met the right girl yet, that some men were simply not as generous with their affections as, say, Robert was. But a bigger part of him suspected that wasn't true, and that the images that flowed through his mind when he slipped his hand inside his small clothes at night were not innocent at all.
"What about you, though? I'm sure you've had your share of conquests." Renly asked suddenly, eager to shift the focus away from himself.
"No." Loras answered simply. "I kissed a girl, once, before leaving Highgarden. She was a serving girl and I fancied myself in love with her. I think I even asked her to marry me once, but I can't quite remember."
Renly chuckled. Only Loras would have the courage to ask a girl to marry him at the age of ten.
"No one here, though? Are the ladies of Storm's End not pleasing enough?" He teased.
"Evidently no more than they are to you!" Loras jested back. "Maybe your luck shall change tomorrow, though." He continued. "Maybe some girl will succeed in giving you a name day present!" Renly did his best to laugh along with Loras, all the while cringing and desperately hoping he was wrong.
That evening, at supper, Renly did his best to let go of his earlier discomfort. Several of his bannermen who had longer journeys to travel to Storm's End had arrived a day early, and the dining hall was filled with the sounds of laughter and merriment.
One guest in particular had caused quite a stir, much to Renly's consternation; Lord Selwyn had arrived along with his daughter, Brienne. The two years that had passed since Renly had seen her had not been very kind; in fact, even though he was quite fond of her, Renly couldn't really blame the other guests, Loras included, for sniggering as she entered the hall. She was taller than most men and positively towered over all the women, and the short style in which she wore her hair did little to add to her lack of femininity. She was now just as broad in the shoulders as Renly, and though he considered himself quite tall, she easily stood at eye level with him.
She was quite good company though, and Renly was quite amused to find that soon after being seated next to Loras, the two spend the majority of the meal deep in conversation about sword fighting and jousting techniques. At one point, though, Renly caught Loras staring at him with a positively evil grin on his face that made his heart sink. That kind of smile on Loras could only mean trouble, and Renly hoped whatever Loras had planned wouldn't be too humiliating for Brienne. He tried to shake his head subtly, which only made Loras smile broader. Renly was just beginning a list of compensations to Lord Selwyn for whatever was about to happen to his daughter, when she suddenly rose and bid them goodnight, claiming she was tired from the journey.
Renly followed suit soon after, although not before insisting that his guests stay and enjoy the wine a bit longer. They had travelled far, and he couldn't blame them for wanting to decompress after hours on horseback. Renly knew he should get some rest, however, if he was to be at his best to greet the rest of his bannermen in the morning.
He was walking along the deserted corridor when he heard footsteps behind him; he turned, and grinned as he saw Loras' curls bouncing as he ran to catch up. He slowed his step and soon they were walking side-by-side through the dim, humid hallways.
"She's quite nice, your maiden of Tarth." Loras commented, his face blank.
"My maiden of Tarth?" Renly asked incredulously. He suddenly had a bad feeling that this had something to do with Loras' evil grin from earlier, but refrained from saying anything in case Loras had already forgotten about it.
"Yes. You made quite an impression on her when you visited Tarth, you know. She's quite enamored with you." Loras said with a chuckle.
"Here I thought you two were talking about the best way to knock a man off his horse." Renly muttered darkly. It was bad enough that Lord Selwyn was trying to push them together, but Brienne having feelings for him was infinitely worst.
"Well yes, that as well, but mostly you." Loras slowed his step as they approached Renly's chambers. "So, goodnight then!" He grinned and turned to walk towards his own chambers.
"Goodnight!" Renly called in confusion. Most evenings after supper Loras would join him in his chambers for a while, either perching on his windowsill with his legs dangling out or else lounging at the foot of his bed looking bored while Renly picked out his clothes for the next day. He supposed Loras must be tired tonight, however, and simply shrugged before opening the door to his chambers.
Renly closed the door behind him and quickly stopped in his tracks at what he saw. Brienne, wearing nothing but an undershirt and skirt made of the palest ivory silk was sitting at the foot of his bed, her dress discarded on the floor next to her. She smiled as she saw him, and stood up, walking uncertainly towards him.
Renly cleared his throat. "Brienne!" He said, immediately kicking himself for sounding so enthusiastic.
"Renly." She replied, coming to a stop right in front of him.
Renly swallowed thickly as she placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward. He turned his head to the side just as her lips were about to brush his, and placed a hand on her arm to push her away gently.
"I…I'm sorry." He stammered, staring at the floor. "You're lovely, it's just…" He didn't quite know what else to say, and instead lifted his head up to look at her.
"Oh." Was all she managed to say, backing away from him quickly.
Renly instantly felt bad; clearly this wasn't the kind of thing she usually did, and here he was, turning her away so coldly.
"Really, Brienne, it's nothing to do with you, it's…" He searched desperately for words that would not come as he watched Brienne's face turn a deeper shade of red as she hurriedly put her dress back on. He settled for giving her one last apologetic look as she rushed towards the door, pulling it open and slamming it shut without looking back.
Renly let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding, the air rushing in and out of his lungs shakily as he shut his eyes and tried desperately to forget what had just happened.